Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements in prokaryotes that have been recognized
as important drivers of microbial ecology and evolution. Plasmids are found in multiple …

The ubiquity of plasmids in all prokaryotic phyla and habitats and their ability to transfer
between cells marks them as prominent constituents of prokaryotic genomes. Many …

Plasmids are autonomously replicating genetic elements that are ubiquitous in all taxa and
habitats where they constitute an integral part of microbial genomes. The stable inheritance …

The distinction between plasmids and chromosomes has been blurred by the discovery of
megaplasmids and small chromosomes through the use of pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis …

Highlights•Plasmid evolution reviewed from the perspective of plasmids.•Mobility, stability,
and indispensability largely determine plasmid lifestyles.•Changes in plasmid traits facilitate …

Mosaic plasmids, plasmids composed of genetic elements from distinct sources, are
associated with the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Transposons are considered the …

Naturally occurring plasmids have medical importance given that they frequently code for
virulence or antibiotic resistance. In many cases, plasmids impose a fitness cost to their …

Gene flow between different reproductive such as bacterial plasmids and chromosomes
presents unusual problems for evolutionary analysis. Far more than in eukaryotes …

Antibiotic resistance encoded on plasmids is a pressing global health problem. Predicting
which plasmids spread in the long term remains very challenging, even though some key …

Plasmids mediate the horizontal transmission of genetic information between bacteria,
facilitating their adaptation to multiple environmental conditions. An especially important …